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Is this a fair BIN price? How are these as beginner horns for a 5th grader?

Thanks,
Eric "getting the buying itch again" L.

Maybe... maybe not. The serial number is less than 100,000... meaning that it has the old style pistons with metal keys. Parts for the old style pistons are obsolete. Late ones will still fit but have the new style plastic guides.

Thanks and Happy Thanksgiving, Dan. The valve guide thing is not a huge worry to me, I understand the new guides can be trimmed if they present a problem. Well broken-in Yamaha pistons might be a good thing from what I've read.

How do these things play relative to other horns is the student/beginner class?

Eric "gobble" L.

It's probably an ok price,but low c and b are really seriously sharp without that extra valve.I'd say wait for a 321 to come along cheap...

WakinAZ wrote:Thanks and Happy Thanksgiving, Dan. The valve guide thing is not a huge worry to me, I understand the new guides can be trimmed if they present a problem. Well broken-in Yamaha pistons might be a good thing from what I've read.

How do these things play relative to other horns is the student/beginner class?

Eric "gobble" L.

Oh, the older YEP 201 is as good as any. I only mentioned the piston thing as a referrence. Late model pistons will interchange as long as you get the matching guide, washer, and stem. You are correct about the worn pistons being a good thing. Yamaha tends to fit their pistons very close. So close that just a shred of lint from a piston felt will cause problems.

MikeMason wrote:It's probably an ok price,but low c and b are really seriously sharp without that extra valve.I'd say wait for a 321 to come along cheap...

Good point, Mike, but this is just a starter horn for a 10-year- old (home practice only most likely if the school horn is at all decent). If he sticks with it, I'd sell the starter horn and spend the $800 - $1200 for a nice, used YEP-321, of which there seems to be an almost limitless supply. Of course the best scenario is he "upgrades" (heh) to tuba.

$200 or $300 feels about right at this stage. You gotta start on an "OK" horn, or you never appreciate it when you get a nice one. His old man started out on a three-banger, and he turned out all right...sort of.

Eric "looking forward to shipping and receiving smaller horns that are not a nightmare to pack, insure etc." L.